On a review of the various schemes of labour and social service operated by the Ministry of Education during the past six years (a comparative statement has been appended), it was first thought that in view of the successful implementation of the Village Apprenticeship Scheme in the universities, limited in extent though it has been for three years from 1956-57 to 1958-59, this very scheme could form the basis for developing a suitable programme of national service. The programme should include the attachment of groups of students to the development blocks for a

sufficiently long period of about four to six weeks successively in the first two years of the three-year degree course to be followed by a similar period after the degree examination, thus adding up to a total period of twelve to eighteen weeks. In order that the development area may derive enduring and tangible benefits from the work done by students, it would be advisable if groups of students continue the work in the same area in successive batches and upon completion of a particular project, hand it over to the development authorities so that its benefits are integrated with the community development programmes. The completion of projects in this manner and their visible effect on the improvement of village life will create a pride of achievement among the students. The period of social and labour service thus rendered can be regarded as equivalent to national service and the service successfully completed by a student should be suitably recognized through certificates of merit, which should be given due weight in recruitment to various posts.

Such a programme can, however, at best be an orientation programme. While it may have a beneficial effect on the educated youth, it may not wholly change their basic values and fundamental attitudes. Such a change cannot be brought about unless the youth at the most impressionable stage of their life are taken out of their existing environments and placed in an entirely different environment for a period of about one year and exposed to the effective and lasting influences of corporate life, spent in productive and constructive work, under the full discipline and guidance of capable teachers and in close and live contact with the life and problems of the rural areas. This period can be interposed as an inter-calary year between the school-leaving stage and entry to life or a university.

There will be numerous advantages in such an arrangement. In the first place there will be an over-all improvement in the physical health of the youth; moreover, those entering life would be more mature, self-reliant and inspired with a zeal for serving the country in a useful capacity whilst those entering the university will have attained the age of 18 and will therefore be more suited to derive the maximum benefit from University education; further, there will be an all round improvement in the quality of the nation's manpower, who would be more effectively oriented and better equipped to undertake the work of national reconstruction in various sectors, particularly in the rural areas. Well-disciplined and properly equipped young men and women would become available not only for national reconstruction but also for any emergency that the nation may have to face.

A programme of the kind outlined above will be a real nation building programme and the investment on human material will more than repay itself in course of time. The institution of such a programme will provide opportunity to eradicate some of the glaring deficiencies in our universities such as the fall in standards of discipline and attainment and wastage from failures. This programme can be utilized for sifting the human material for Higher education after careful observation including aptitude and achievement tests spread over a period of one year. This selection can be reinforced by a comprehensive scheme of scholarships for deserving and meritorious students to enable them to pursue Hi-her education. Those who cannot profit from Higher education would also be better equipped, as a result of national service, to play their part in the life of the community.

Before proceeding to give our recommendations on the various aspects

of a programme of national service, it may be emphasised that any such programme must be predominantly educational, aimed at improving the quality and training of manpower required for rapid national reconstruction. The quality of discipline, spirit of social service and capacity for leadership thus engendered among the youth would be an asset to the nation in any emergency. We have taken note of the proposed expansion of the National Cadet Corps envisaged by the Ministry of Defence which is mainly directed towards building a reserve of trained manpower for purpose of national security, which we welcome. The programme of national service suggested by the Committee is, however, not primarily designed in the interests of national security but is aimed at inculcating the qualities and attitudes in the educated youth of the country which are essential not only for the limited purpose of national security but for the all round progress of the country in every field of national endeavour.

SECTION-III

Recommendations

1. Objectives : The primary objective of national service should be to provide more lively awareness on the part of the educated youth of the purposes and processes of the nation's reconstruction efforts, especially in the rural areas, and to inculcate in them a sense of discipline, a spirit of social service, dignity of manual labour and dedication to the cause of the country in order to make up the deficiencies of the present educational system such as lack of discipline, absence of self-reliance, want of maturity and lack of idealism, and thus prepare the educated youth, the future leaders of the country, for the enormous tasks of national reconstruction requiring arduous, sustained and responsible work and to safeguard national security requiring a reserve of trained personnel available to meet any emergency,

2. Compulsion : It is necessary that any scheme of national service must be compulsory if it is to be effective and is to make a real impact to improve the quality of manpower needed by the country. A voluntary scheme would have the drawback of leaving out a good many, if not the majority, of students proposed to be covered and would not be assured of success unless sufficient inducements were offered. If improvement on the national scale is to be the aim, which it ought to be, no voluntary scheme can ever hope to achieve it. There can be no objection, on principle or otherwise, to Compulsion as it is the right of the State to ask its citizens for a period of service in return for what it does for them.

No exemptions are to be allowed on any ground. The students who are not physically fit for manual work could be asked to do other suitable work. Cases of hospitalization are in another category and may be exempted only for the period of hospitalization and legitimate convalescence. In particular, there should be absolutely no opportunity for the rich and the influential to manipulate exemptions for their children.

3. Duration : It is essential that national service should be of a sufficiently long duration to inculcate in the young adolescent the values of discipline, social service, dignity of manual labour and dedication to the country. It is necessary to expose young minds to good influences over an adequate period if lasting effect is to be secured on the growing personalities and developing character of the nation's youth. A period of at least nine months to a year is the minimum required for achieving the objectives of national serivce.

4. Stage : The best stage for drafting the youth in national service is when they pass out of Higher Secondary school or pre- University class and

are prepared to enter life or the university. A year's national service at that stage would greatly fill the gap left by the present Secondary education and would equip a young person better both for life or the university. Those entering life would be more mature, more disciplined and better prepared for the responsibilities of their work. Those who go to the university would be more self-reliant, more disciplined and better equipped "or benefiting from University education. As a matter of fact, the observation of a young person in national service spread over a year would enable the educational authorities to select better material for University education on the basis of academic and other achievements, and thus check the growing indiscipline and wastage which are becoming the bane of University education. Those students who are found to be talented and gifted during the operation of the national service should be given scholar- ships and other benefits to pursue Higher education. The national service thus has tremendous possibilities of being utilized as a means of helping in judging suitability for admissions to universities on the basis of adjudged capacity of students to benefit from Higher education.

5. Content : The content should be so devised as to effect an all round improvement of the personality and character of the adolescent. There need be no dead uniformity-none is advocated-but the following ingredients should be dovetailed in any over-all programme for the service :-

(i) Military Discipline.-The students should lead a disciplined life for nine months to one year comparable to that in the armed forces. No breach of discipline should be tolerated. Adequate sanctions should be provided to deter any breach of discipline.

(ii) Social Service and Manual Labour-Social service and manual labour should be rendered for at least four hours every day in the areas selected for work under the national service. Manual labour would be an essential part of the work for every student. The labour and social service may take diverse forms depending upon the locale and the needs of the community. The work should be so organized that the community derives tangible and lasting benefit. This will inspire confidence in youth and also give them pride of achievement.

(iii) General Education.-So that the national service should not lead to a gap in the education of adolescents, it should also provide broad general education laying stress on the improvement of English, learning of Hindi and other regional languages, im- provement of general knowledge, acquaintance with India's cultural heritage and programmes of social and economic planning, etc. So that the participants on completing the national service are fit and active enough to take their place in life even if they do not enter the university. The period of national service should also be fully utilized for the emotional integration of the youth with the country and ideals it is working for. The service should also provide some opportunities for self-expression in cultural activities like music, dance, drama, but care should be taken to ensure that they do not distract from the main purposes of the service. Adequate reading materials such as books, periodicals, magazines etc. should be provided so that the youth can acquire habits of self-study, critical inquiry and love for scholarship and knowledge.

A programme worked out suitably with the above ingredients should

meet the needs of all round development of the growing adult and lead to integration of his personality. This would not only develop true discipline -physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual-but also inculcate in the youth qualities like the love of the country and dedication to social work.

6. Organizational Set-up : A programme of national service of the envisaged quality and magnitude should be a bridge between the terminal stage of Secondary education and entry into life or institutions of Higher education. Though it will draw upon the resources of the Defence forces universities, educationists, Government departments both at the Centre and in the States engaged in social and economic development programmes, the programme suggested by the Committee would require for its implementation an organizational set-up which should be broadbased and independent. The programme must be truly national in concept and in execution and should be so devised that it develops the capacity to extend its scope to cover other categories of citizens in appropriate age groups in course of time. While it is urgent that we concentrate our efforts on the educated youth, the other youth of the country are of no less important for the larger interests of the country. In view of the potentialities of a comprehensive programme visualized, such a service might ultimately cover all the youth of the country, but this will require as a pre- requisite the spread of Secondary education to all young persons below the age of 17.

It is, therefore, suggested that a National Board should be set up to plan, implement and evaluate a programme of national service. This should, however, be preceded by careful preparation of a detailed plan of work for youth and for this purpose, it would be desirable to set up a representative working group of educationists, administrators, Defence experts and other interests.

7. Finance : An investment in human resources is not to be viewed in the context of economic value of the product of such investment, as the primary aim is to build up educated young people as disciplined citizens and devoted workers so that they are an asset to the nation. The national service is thus to be viewed as a nation building programme and any cost incurred on it would more than repay itself in the long run. The economic value of the productive work which the youth are expected to perform would not be in itself inconsiderable and should be reckoned in any estimate of the cost involved. The cost of national service, though heavy, should not be beyond our means and should be worked out in detail by the Working Group.

In the end the Committee would like to place on record their appreciation of the considerable help given by Dr. H. C. Gupta and Shri J. S. Nanda, Officers of the Ministry of Education, in preparing the draft of its report.

C. D. Deshmukh,

N. S. Junankar, Chairman

Secretary D. C. Pavate B. Prasad

A. C. Joshi

H. C. Sarin

K. Balachandran

P. N. Kirpal

STATEMENT
A Comparative Statement of Various

Sl. Name of Objectives Scope with special reference
No. the Scheme to categories eligible to
participate in it

1. National Cadet To stimulate the interest of the Open to boys and girls from
Corps (Started in youth in the defence of the schools and colleges with age
1948). country. limits of 13 to 18 1/2 years for
Junior Division and below
26 years for Senior Division.

No. of cadets trained every
year : 1,50,000 with average
annual increase of about 22,000.

2. Auxiliary Cadet To build the youth mentally, Open to all boys and girls
Corps (Started in morally and physically and between the ages of 13 to
1952). to develop in them a sense of 16 years reading in Secon-
patriotism,self-confidence, dary schools.
dignity of labour and leader-
ship.

The strength of A.C.C. had risen
on 31-3-1959 to 8,38,307 cadets:

15,807 teachers with an annual
increase of about 42,995 cadets.

3. Labour and Social To provide physical, recrea- Open to boys and girls from
Service Scheme tional and other amenities schools and colleges, with
(Started in 1953- in educational institutions age limits of 13 to 16 years
54). so as to encourage the art of for Junior Camps, and above
self-expression, comradeship 16 years for Senior Camps.
and community life in youth;
also to create healthy attitude
towards manual work and
enlighten youth about rural
problems. During the period from
1954-55 to 1958-59, total
No. of Camps conducted
5,330.

Students participated :
5,68,717. Campus Work Projects
organized in schools and
colleges : 634.

Labour and Social Service Schemes

Nature of activities to be under- Manner of implementation of
taken under the Scheme and the Scheme including the Estimates of cost
duration of the Project organisational set-up for the involved
purpose

Military training such as Administration of N.C.C. The cost of per cadet
squad drill, drill with arms, is controlled by N.C.C. in 1959-60 was as
weapon training, map reading, Directorate under the follows :-
mourtaineering etc. During charge of a Major-General. Senior Division
camp period, half the period Directorate has divided the -Rs. 290
is used for military training country into 14 circle, each Junior Division
and the other half for labour being under Col. N.C.C. Units -Rs. 155
and social service. are commanded by regular Average -Rs. 158.
officers, and college and The cost per cadet in
Duration : (i) 4 hours per school teachers. There is N.C. C. Rifles proposed
week except during vacations. special arrangement for the to be started in 1960
training of school/college as Infantry Units to
(ii) Camps for 3 to 4 week teachers selectee as give basic military
duration held every year N.C.C. officers. training is estimated
at Rs. 71 per year.

Basic Training in citizenship, The A.C.C. is administered Expenditure on instr-
drill, games, field craft, first with the help of JCOs and uctional and super-
aid, sanitation and hygiene other commissioned officers visory staff comes to
for 3 years having only one provided by the Ministry of Rs. 5 per cadet and is
period of 40 minutes on all Defence who help in training met by the Ministry of
working days except Saturdays. school teachers as instructors Defence.Cost of
in A.C.C. One unit consists uniforms as well as
Supplementary training in of one A.C.C. officer (teacher) cost of training of
hobbies, arts, craft and other and 50 cadets (students). teachers and their
cultural activities during honoraria which come to
week-ends and vacations. Rs. 9 per cadet is met
by the State Govern-
ments.

Boys Camps devoted to The Government of India is T.A. III class fare
construction of roads, digging advised by a committee on the at concessional rates.
of soak-pits, water reservoirs programmes that may be under- D.A. Rs. 1.75 per head
and drainage etc. taken under the Scheme, and the per day.
manner of giving grants for
Girls Camps devoted to hygiene, that purpose. 50 to 100 stu- Ministry of Education
care of the sick child welfare dents attend the Camp for a has made a provision
and home nursing etc. fortnight. of Rs. 2.80 crores for
(Duration 10 to 20 days.) the Scheme for Second
Five-Year Plan.

STATEMENT- (contd.)

A Comparative Statement of Various

Si. Name of Objectives Scope with special reference
No. the Scheme to categories eligible to parti-
cipate in it

4. National Disci- To build a nation of disciplined Limited only to school-going
plire Scheme youth who are physically fit, children from 6th to 11th
(Started in 1954). emotionally sound, culturally classes.
aware and have a sense of de-
votion to the cause of the During the Second Five-Year
nation so as to channelise their Plan
energies in suitable directions
for accelerating the progress Schools to be covered : 300.
of the country. Children to be disciplined
3,00,000.

5. Village Appren- To develop in selected univer- Open to college students (boys
ticeships Sche- sity students and teachersand girls) who have passed
me (1956-57 to a realistic spirit of social ser- Intermediate (or equivalent)
1958-59). vice and a responsible under- examination; also to college
standing of the problems of teachers.
rural reconstruction in India
through actual participation Total No. of apprenticeships
in well organised village provided : 5,444. Total No.
development work under ex- of apprentices declared suc-
perienced supervision. cessful : 4,066.

Labour and Social Service Schemes-contd.

Nature of activities to be Manner of implementation
undertaken under the Scheme of the Scheme including the Estimates of
and duration of the Project organisational set-up for cost involved
the purpose

An integrated programme for Scheme is operated through three Average expenditure
physical training, mental Regional Offices Eastern, Western per trainee per
training, developing capa- and Northern at Calcutta. Poona course of three
cities for administration and and Ambala respectively headed by months varies from
Organisation through drill, a Senior Supervisor. Operational rs. 5 to Rs. 7.
parades, sports, games, lec- work in each school is done with
tures on sense of duty, pun- the help of a Physical Training
ctuality and cleanliness for Instructor. The P.T.I. is in
character development. (Dur- charge of 200 to 300 children.
ation of the course 3 months.)

All kinds of manual labour, In each State, an Executive T.A.-Rs. 20 lump sum
social service and other ac- Committee comprising Vice-
tivities aimed at the welfare Chancellor (or his nominee), D.A.- Rs. 2/8- per
of rural community under Development Commissioner of the diem paid direct for
Community Development and State (or his nominee), Head of six weeks.
National Extension Service Deptt. of Education/Social Edu-
Blocks (Duration 6 weeks). cation, and Registrar who is to Stipend to successful
act as Convenor and Secretary of apprentices is paid @
the Committee, has been in charge Rs. 25 per week for
of the Scheme. The Executive six weeks' training.
Committee is responsible to give
publicity to the Scheme, select A total of $ 300,000
the apprentices, arrange orien- was made available
tation, post them and appraise for the Scheme by the
the work of apprentices. Ford Foundation.